Monarda plant named ‘Pardon My Cerise’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental bee balm plant named  Monarda didyma  ‘Pardon My Cerise’ has short, compact, basally branching stems, medium to dark green foliage with slight tinting of greyed purple, numerous large cerise-colored flowers creating excellent flower coverage and strong foliar resistance to powdery mildew.

Botanical classification: Monarda didyma.

Variety denomination: ‘Pardon My Cerise’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the new and distinct cultivar of beebalm plant, botanically known as Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’, andhereinafter also referred to solely as the cultivar ‘Pardon My Cerise’or the “new plant”. The new plant was selected from seed collected bythe hybridizers on Oct. 7, 2009 from designated hybridizing plot of anursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA, from Monarda didyma ‘Petite Delight’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,784 as the female or seed parent and the male orpollen parent was uncontrolled and could have been any of the otherparents in a large collection in the nearby vicinity. The plant was asingle selection originally made in the summer of 2011 from the seedsthat were sown in the fall of 2009. Further selection was completed inthe trial fields of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. in the summer of 2012and the plant was assigned the breeder code of HK9-42-16. The plant hasbeen asexually propagated by shoot tip cuttings originally in 2012 atthe same nursery in the greenhouses in Zeeland, Mich., and thesubsequent asexually propagated plants found to be stable, true to typeand identical to the original selection.

No plants of Monarda ‘Pardon My Cerise’ have been sold in this country,or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of this application, norhas any disclosure of the new plant been made prior to the filing ofthis application with the exception of that which was disclosed withinone year of the filing of this application and was either deriveddirectly or indirectly from the inventors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’ is unique from its parents and allother bee balm plants known to the inventors. The nearest comparisonvarieties are the female parent ‘Petite Delight’, ‘Achall’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 19,582 and ‘Fire Marshall’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,286. ‘PetiteDelight’ is in similar in height, but that the new plant has flowersthat are more cerise than the pink of ‘Petite Delight’. The flowers of‘Achall’ are more red-purple than the cerise of ‘Pardon My Cerise’, butthe two are close in height. ‘Jacob Cline’ (not patented), ‘Colrain Red’(not patented), ‘Cambridge Scarlet’ (not patented), ‘Gardenview Scarlet’(not patented), ‘Marshalls Delight’ (not patented), ‘Fireball’ U.S.Plant Pat. No. 14,235 and ‘Fire Marshall’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,286 allhave similar reddish or cerise flower colors. ‘Jacob Cline’, ‘ColrainRed’, ‘Cambridge Scarlet’, ‘Gardenview Scarlet’, ‘Marshalls Delight’ and‘Fireball’ are all taller with heights of about 120 cm, 90 cm, 95 cm, 90cm, 70 cm and 60 cm respectively. ‘Fire Marshall’ has a height of about50 cm compared to the shorter height of ‘Pardon My Cerise’ of about 45cm. ‘Pardon My Cerise’ also has darker green-colored foliage than ‘FireMarshall’. Other similar-sized or smaller bee balm include ‘Pardon MyPink’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,244 which has a much more pinkish flowerthan the new plant, and ‘Pardon My Purple’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,170which has a much more purplish flower than the new plant.

The following are traits of Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’ that incombination distinguish it from all other bee balm known to theinventor:

-   -   1. Very short, winter-hardy, compact, clumping habit.    -   2. Medium to dark-green leaves with tinting of greyed purple.    -   3. Strong powdery mildew resistant foliage.    -   4. Large-sized, cerise-colored flowers for a long period in        summer with excellent flower coverage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of‘Pardon My Cerise’ and the overall appearance of the plant at two-yearsold in the full sun trial garden of a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Thecolors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions.Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause theappearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flowers.

FIG. 2 shows the new plant in flower in the landscape.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’ hasnot been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature,light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without anychange in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptionsare based on two-year old greenhouse-grown plants in gallon containersat a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizer and water asneeded but without plant growth regulators or pinching.

-   Botanical classification: Monarda didyma;-   Parentage: Female (seed) parent is Monarda didyma ‘Petite Delight’    U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,784; male (pollen) parent is unknown;-   Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial, compact, producing    several stems spreading by short rhizomes; 35 to 45 cm tall at    flowering and 80 to 90 cm wide; flowering begins mid-summer in    Michigan and continuing for about 5 to 8 weeks;-   Propagation: Stem cuttings;-   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 10 to 12    weeks; moderate rate of growth;-   Root: Fine, fibrous and freely branching; color creamy white to tan    depending on soil type;-   Leaves: Simple, lanceolate, opposite, serrated, puberulent above and    below; lustrous above, matte below; acute apex, rounded to cordate    base; 4.0 to 6.5 cm long by 3.0 to 4.0 cm wide, average about 6.0 cm    long and 3.5 cm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves nearest RHS 138C on adaxial    surface and on abaxial surface nearest RHS 138D; mature adaxial    leaves between RHS 139A and RHS 136A and abaxial leaves nearest RHS    144A;-   Foliage fragrance: Pleasantly herbal;-   Veins: Pinnate; pubescent below with minute puberulent above,    slightly sunken above and raised below;-   Vein color: Mature leaves adaxial midrib and primary veins nearest    RHS 144D, secondary adaxial veins between RHS 139A and RHS 136A;    mature abaxial midrib and primary veins between RHS 145D and RHS    145C, secondary abaxial veins nearest RHS 145B; emerging leaves    adaxial midrib and primary veins nearest RHS 138C, secondary veins    on emerging abaxial surfaces same color as surrounding leaf tissue;    emerging leaves abaxial midrib and primary veins between RHS 145D    and RHS 149D, secondary veins on emerging primary abaxial leaves    nearest RHS 145B;-   Bracts: Between distal leaves and flowers; sessile; deltoid to    lanceolate, with acuminate apex and truncate base; about seven per    terminal verticillaster; average about 1.6 cm long and 1.0 cm wide;-   Bract color: Abaxial and adaxial nearest RHS 145A with veins with    heavy tinting of nearest RHS N186C; and veins abaxial and adaxial of    nearest RHS 187A;-   Petiole: Pubescent, slightly concavo-convex; average about 3.5 mm    long and 2.0 mm across;-   Petiole color: Nearest RHS 138D with tinting of nearest RHS N187A    adaxial and nearest RHS 138D abaxial;-   Stems: Quadrangular, puberulent, densely pubescent at nodes and stem    corners; about 3.0 mm across at base and about 35 to 45 cm long;-   Stem color: Between RHS 138B and RHS 138C in upper portion with base    portion blend of between RHS 146C and RHS 138C;-   Lower branches: About quadrangular, puberulent, densely pubescent at    nodes and stem corners; commonly three to four per main stem; about    2.0 mm across at base and about 30 to 40 cm long;-   Lower branch color: Same as main stem with additional tinting of    nearest RHS N74C;-   Nodes: About 22 to 24 per stem;-   Flowers: Single, labiate, actinomorphic flowers arranged in terminal    verticillate head about 7.6 cm across and 4.3 cm tall opening from    the center and progressing outwardly and down; each flower    persisting about 5 days in Michigan; numerous, about 80 flowers per    head; flower altitude upright to slightly arcuate in center of    verticil to horizontal toward outer perimeter of verticil;    self-cleaning;-   Flower period: Usually late June into August; about six to seven    weeks;-   Flower fragrance: Moderately spicy;-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate;    tubular; rounded apex; arcuate slightly downward in distal half;    about 2.7 cm long and about 3.0 mm diameter in the middle;-   Bud color one to two days prior to opening: Nearest RHS 59C in    distal one third with a lighter base of white, lighter than RHS    N155D or RHS 155D;-   Petals: Labiate, arcuate downward; split in two in about the distal    1.2 cm with upper lip fused into a hood about 3.0 cm long and 2.5 mm    diameter; lower lip about 3.5 cm long comprising three lobes    including two side lobes about 1.0 mm long with rounded apex and    center lobe about 4.0 to 5.0 mm long split in the distal 1.0 mm;    both lobes glandular and pubescent outer surfaces with fine hairs    the same color as petals; both lobes glabrous on inner surfaces;-   Petal color: Color of all petals on both surfaces when first opening    nearest RHS 53B with basal 5.0 mm white, lighter than RHS 155D;    after about three days open petal color all surfaces between RHS 53D    and RHS 54A;-   Androecium: Two;    -   -   Filaments.—Two, about 3.2 cm long by 0.5 mm diameter; color            nearest RHS N66D.        -   Anther.—Oblong elliptic, dorsifixed, longitudinal; 2.2 mm by            1.0 mm; color between RHS 62D and RHS 63D with longitudinal            dehiscence line between RHS 64C and RHS 64B.        -   Pollen.—Abundant, elliptic to globose, less than 0.1 mm;            color nearest RHS 15D.-   Gynoecium: One per flower;    -   -   Style.—About 3.8 cm by 0.25 mm; color between RHS 71D and            RHS 71C toward distal end, lightening to nearest RHS 69B            toward base.        -   Stigma.—Split in two in the distal 2.0 mm, 0.25 mm in            diameter; color nearest RHS 64A.        -   Ovary.—1.0 mm by 0.75 mm; color between RHS 143D and RHS            144B.-   Sepals: Five, apiculate apex, base fused forming corolla about 9.0    mm long and 2.0 mm diameter; apex glandular and with minute hairs on    abaxial surface;-   Sepal color: Abaxial distal one third to half nearest RHS N186C,    proximal half to two thirds of outer corolla surface nearest RHS    138C with slight tinting of RHS N186C and darker veins of RHS 138A;    and adaxial same colors with veins remaining closer to RHS 138C;-   Peduncle: Pubescent, stiff, strong, erect, quadrangular to about 0.3    cm across and average about 38.0 cm long; about 15 per plant;    naturally branched at nodes;-   Peduncle color: Between RHS 138B and RHS 138C in upper portion with    base portion blend of between RHS 146C and RHS 138C;-   Fruit: Single nutlet, elliptical, about 1.0 mm long and 0.7 mm wide;    color nearest RHS 202A;-   Hardiness: The new plant grows best with plenty of moisture and    adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4 through 8;-   Disease and pest resistance: Demonstrated strong powdery mildew    resistance (Sphaerotheca pannosa var. rosa) in side by side    comparison at least equal that of ‘Petite Delight’ and better than    ‘AChall’.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental bee balm plant, Monarda didyma ‘Pardon My Cerise’, as herein described and illustrated. 